A textual analysis of the story of Muhammad’s prophetic emergence in Mecca as documented by early Islamic tradition. The author seeks not to judge the historical value of the events described but, rather, to observe their textual dynamics and examine the traditions as a reflection of the self-image of early medieval Islamic society.Professor Rubin describes the process whereby Muslims read into the life of their prophet their own historical vision of Islam as a successor to previous monotheistic faiths and shows how Muslims sought to provide their prophet with a biography no less sacred than that of any other prophet of the Jews and Christians. The book also explores how certain universal prophetic themes—attestation, preparation, revelation, persecution, and salvation—were adapted to specific Arabian conditions as well as to Qur’anic models adduced to legitimate these themes in Islamic terms. The impact of political tensions within Islamic society on the shaping of Muhammad’s vita is also elucidated.This book is distinguished not only by its approach and important new conclusions, but also by the broad range of source material : not only biographies of the Prophet, but also numerous collections of traditions and works of Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir), many seldom encountered in modern scholarship.